Machine for tearing woven fabric



I J 1945- M. w; HIGBY 2,370,465

MACHINE FOR TEARI NG WOVEN FABRIC Filed Sept. 24, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 1"W IN VEN TOR.

BY a W A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1945. w |-||GBY MACHINE FOR TEARING WOVEN FABRIC Filed Sept.'24, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Feb. 27, 1945. H|GBY MACHINE FOR TEARING WOVEN FABRIC Filed Sept, 24,1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. WARM & ATTORNEYS.

lllllllrrl of the machine being shown in separated position as when thefabric is being fed forward.

Fig. 5 i a horizontal sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 1 of thecentral part of my machine omitting the fabric to be torn but showing inplan view the regular feed belts for advancing the woven fabric to betorn and showing the catch belts in distended position.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but on line B--6 of Fig. 3 viz. theplane of the top of the fabric showing the two sets of catch-beltsadvanced to catch and carry forward the new severed end of the fabric.

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of one of the catch belt carriages with acatch belt on its rollers and below the carriage an adjacent portion ofthe platform carrying this set of "catch belt car riages.

Referring to the drawings in a more particular description it will beseen that as best seen,

in Fig. 4 the tearing device per se of my invention comprises a smallspearpoint at the bottom end of a vertically mounted and verticallymoved spear-carrying rod 2| which spearpoint has attached thereto at itsopposite sides two loosely mounted tearing arms 22 which extend upwardlyand crosswise of the therebelow intermittently progressed and stationaryfullwidth length 23 of said woven fabric.

The lower end of each of these arms 22 is loosely hinged to its wing ofthe spearpoint 20 and the upper end of each arm is loosely con. nectedto the outer end of a brace 24 which in turn has its inner end attachedsomewhat loosely to a crosshead 25 on the upper part of the saidvertical spear-carrying rod 2|. The middle part of the said rod'2l isoperatively connected to the lower end of a pitman 25 the other end ofwhich is pivotally attached to the crank arm 21 preferably provided on awheel 28 suitably mounted the proper distance above the said length offabric to be operated upon and preferably on a horizontal shaft 29extending longitudinally of the said length 23 fabric and of the machinewhich progresses and tears said fabric. Two eyes 30 and 3| encirclingrespectively the upper part and the lower part of the saidspear-carrying rod, guide said rod in a vertical path but the said loosemounting of the side arms allows the side arms to move the necessaryamount back or forward to follow the bow or crosswise curve of thefabric when the rotation of said wheel 28 drives the spear point 20 downinto the middle portion of the short length of fabric 23a temporarilyheld in the tearing zone of the machine and makes a short initial cutcrosswise and the slanting arms 22 at once with a. camming action tearthe fabric in opposite directions completely across to and through itsselvaged edges.

As the means for temporarily holding the short length 23a of fabricstationary and taut in the tearing zone I provide two spaced pairs ofjaws, jaw 32 being the upper and jaw 33 being the lower and cooperatingjaw of the pair of jaws first reached by the advancing fabric (saidfirst pair being to the right as the machine is shown in Fig. 1) and jaw34 being the upper jaw and jaw 35 being the lower jaw cooperatingtherewith of the second reached pair of jaws, the second pair beingin'practice a few inches beyond the first p 50 as to allow room for thetearing device to descend between saidtwo pairs of jaws with its arms 22swinging to follow the bow of the fabric and also to allow for thepresence therebetween of parts of the "catch belts" hereinafterdescribed.

The shaft 29 for wheel 28 is carried in a cross bar 35 which bar alsocarries the motor 31 and reducing gear or other mechanism for driving ata relatively slow speed the wheel 28 which intermittently moves thetearing device. The said cross bar 36 is a part of an upright rear framehaving spaced side posts 38 and 39 upstanding from and past thehorizontally extending spaced side rails 40. Upon these rear uprightposts are mounted in moveable relation to each other the said secondreached or rear pair of jaws 34 and 35 preferably by having the upperjaw 34 fixed to the said posts and by having the lower jaw 35 slidableinor on the said posts.

A front upright frame has upright posts 4| rising from or past said siderails 40 and connected by a top crossbar (carrying the top guide eye 30)and connectedby a lower crossbar viz. the upper front jaw 32 carryingthe said lower guide eye 3| for guiding the spear-carrying rod 2 I.

In or upon the opposite side rails 40 of the machine are locatedoppositely disposed pairs of bearings for the fabric supporting rollers45. As already mentioned, this machine is organized and illustrated tohave the long length of woven fab ric 23 moved from the right-hand halfof the machine towards the left and through the first pair of jaws 32and 33. Accordingly a roller is located just to-the right of this firstpair of jaws and another roller 45 is located as far as required to theright so that these two rollers may have mounted thereover severalendless bands of webbing 46, the upper length of which travels to theleft and over the roller 45 which is located near but to the right ofthe firstreached pair of jaws. Preferably this roller is the one whichis provided with a pulley 47 driven by power from any convenient sourcewhereby in obvious manner the several belts of the webbing 4B are causedto move to the left and thereby move the length of woven fabric that isrest- :x ed upon said belts of webbing. As shown more or lessdiagrammatically in Fig. I to the right of the right-hand roller 45,there is a feed table 44 leading to the belts 46 and to this table thewoven fabric is delivered by means of two cooperating oppositely drivenfriction rollers 48 and 49 which it is assumed are drawing the wovenfabric from a source of supply such as a large roll of the fabric oreven from the adjacently loacated finishing machine of the plant forseparately finishing indefinitely long lengths of woven fabric.

Beyond or to the left of the left-hand pair of fabric-engaging jaws 34and 35 there is located roller 50 and spaced further to the left uponthe side rails of the machine is a similar roller (not shown). Overthese rollers are stretched several endless belts 5| of webbing formoving the severed fabric to the left from the feed jaws 34 and 35. Oneof these last-named rollers will be rettaed by suitable power so as toimpart a forward motion (or to the left as this machine is illustrated)to thefseveral belts 5| stretched over this left-hand series of rollers.

At any convenient part on the receiving or right-hand length of travelof the woven fabric,

there is located a cloth measuring meter 52 hav- I ing a suitablefriction-surfaced fabric-engaging wheel which upon being rotated asuitable number of times measure the length of said woven fabric that isto be cut off as for forming a sheet. This machine can be adjusted tomeasure the detor 31 which operates the tearing device.

- tearing" operation and return originalposition; the -turning off ofthe electric meme-o5 siredi-number of inches: as' required -for standard52' has madethe K proper numlcier= of rot'ations to" have passedthereb-eneath a"- givenlength of themonster which-- it is-set anelectric-contact" for the-* necessary-time is made at' IB which by suita'b'lewiring "I9 and 811 rendersoperative the" mo- Att he same time the'movea-ble lower iatiric engaging jaws-- 33and 35 are moved so as to-close the two pairs' of fabric-engaging jaws,- through the circuitbeing completed at IE-through wires 19 and we) actuate asolenoid Blto-turn on the com pressed'air' atvalve-82 antf adinit airto'theflowerhalf of cylinder 53* throughcompressed air-- line 86-. After theelectric contact inember at 18 has remainedintcontact long enough-tocomplete the the? wheel to its current" allows return spring 84'toreverse the position of the air-valve 8 2-=whereupon airis ad mittedthrough"- air line 85" to* the-upper ends' of the four cylinders 5'3;quickly causingthepist'ons 54- to move dowrr and open the and 353 Asconvenient meansfor-sociosin'g-bothsaid pairs ofl'aws there isprovidedundertheoppositelower" jaws 33* 60: which have endsofeacnofsaidflow-er jawsacylinder prefer I abl'y 'pneumatic 53 suitablysupported in properposition by orfiom theadjacent. side -rail=4ll andhaving a piston" 84} the--pistonrod 55 0i which extends out from thecylinder and" is connected directlyto the adjacent end of said lowerfabric: engaging jaw; By'the admission of air t'mthe lower-side ofsaid'pistons under pressure; the'said twopi'stons connectedto 'each" of saidlower jaws will he quicklyand simultaneously raised The valves foradmitting such' air' under pressure to these cylinders will be operatedbyproper mecha-nical (Jr-pneumatic or electrical means,contemporaneously with the actuatiorrof"thefabric tearing device orperhaps .a fraction of w secondearlier" so that by; the time the'spearpoint 2D descends a. shortdist'ancetowards the short length offabric ZSa-betWeenthesaid two pairs oi jaws; said ja-Ws'= will be"closedand the short length? of fabric' reaching; from one pair of jawsto 'the'other will he 'he'ldtaut by-said' closed*jaws and asalreadystated the spearpoint will make a very short preliminary cuttransversely of the fahricand thiscut" willb'e quickly continuedby thetearing downward travel of- I the tea-ring arms 2-2: After thesetearing" arms have tornthe held length of fabriccompletely-through:theselvagesat the opposite sides" of the fabric; the followinghalfrot'ati'on' ofthe wheel .28' will lift thetearing device upwardlyentirely 'clear from' between the two pairs of jaws more or'l'ess to theposition shown" by solid lines inFig. 4e and simultaneously the lowerjaws will be moved downwardly-to open b'othpairso-f ja-ws,sincethe'requirement ofhoid:

ing the fabric has now passed. This opening of the jaws-will'bepro'ducedby adn'ritting aii tn the upper sideof the" pistons 54 in: allfour" cylinders'5'3'; t

From an inspection of "Fig. 2 itwill be" seen-that after'theeloth=tearing 'd'evicehas descended and performedits complete activeoperation and then ascended to. be out ofthe way; there are two new endsof fabric 55 and .ifi'hanging down 'f'romthe fab'ric engaging j aws;Any'forward movementby either set" of main feed belts that" is to the"right ofthe'tearing zone oreventothe'lef-tof the tear ihg zone will' notoperate" to' carry the' torn onhelts: 5 k will draw .tively to:the-outside coming I 'endl 55 0f the fabric just: to: the. right-of?thesevering: zone -v over: towardsitheemaimdeliveryi Eel-ts; 5li1on:rollers- It is: true that: upon. the opening of: the rearward j aws= 3'4and the main. through the feed: jaws andmove to" the leftt on auxiliaryfeedl belts. 64 the piece of fab ricafififi' that hadt just 'beenreleased. by said pair-of jaws; but". the. other rollers; $5 with theirbelt 4fiionith'eother: or right-hand side of the machine-will not be:abletoroarrylthe severedend 56 up to the jaws seam-34am onto themainrhelt -5r1 at 'thatend of the machine: To overcome this 'very'troublesomesituation due to' th'e length of woven fabric being entirely severed, Ihave prowded two sets-of? auxiliary: feedi belts or: what plan viewsofseveralofthese catoh'belt carriages.

The catch belt '5'l 'is-mountedlon twospaced-apart rollersa58- which aremounted f severally on a shortv pintha-tis in: the upper ends: of two;-thin: armstheir: lower: ends fixedly mounted upon the;oa-rriageiil Thearms-fill asr-shownzbest' in- Fig. slant away from each. other as :they'go up for; a purpose: hereinafter" mentioned; The-- catch belt 51.hasits: upper length: extending between the opposite faces ofthefirstipainof jaws 3.2:andi33 while-the'lower lm hmf S i catchbeltpasses:beneathmhealowersjaw:33$ Severalzofrthese catchibelts arearranged in the:widthiiofi the machine. with the=belts arranged in: the:spaces; between: the" main feed belts in as; best? shown in Figs; 4. and5 of-the' drawings; T11ese*catoh='.belt"s. do nott have? 2J2 separatemeans for driving them but-:through their contact. withwthe: closely:located: roller just; to the right oit'the right' handi pair of.fabrio-engaging jaws; 3'2 and: 33? thesesmall belts: are driven.withastrength and power enoughfor the very small powerr consumihg' jobwhich they have. In cross-section thes'e' belts'may 'bealikethe common vs'ha'l ed"v belts and rollers: 585 may have a V-shapedgroove intheir-peripheries for morewreadily holding theilo'e'ltsain place andperformingitheiriworkz v So that: the closing of thexjaws will notbeprevented by these catch belts: notches or' recesses 62 onthevupperwsideiand"63:0!1 the: lowersiderof the lower jaw 33 willbeaprovide'di as will beplainly seenon'examination of'Figs: 2 andie'.The righthand-I catch: beltv carriage El: places its left-hand pulley'58 insideof the iabrici-engagingrjaws- 32 andzfliwhne sits'othenpulleyfitds. a little distance away fromzthemainbelt'rollerflfirto the. outside of; Said-fabrie-engaeingsjflW: Asimilarly constructed and arranged: setof, catchibelts 64 are provided,

mountedl upon spaced pulleys; 65 and 6.6; respecof,. and. inside; ofthe: lefthand; jaws-'34 and; Ziliwith its belt passing. around therollers hit-of. thev main beltsys-temlon-that end of. the machine 1 andwith. the. belt- 64 at its upper.

reachlpassing betweenlthe toppof the lower-jaw finandithe bottom ottheupper. jaw-'34:

Thelower. reach, of. said'catch belt-passes below.

the. lower. jaw- 3.5 ancl-saidj aw hasielearancespaces 62 and'zfit in.itsupper and. lower edges asalready mentioned with r'espect.to lower jaw33" to. allow the laws to be closed without interference with orfrornthis catch belt The pulleys 65 and 66 of this rearcatch belt-64" arelikewise, mounted upon theupper ends-ofslantihgly arranged pairs of armsextending up fromthe carriage 61 so that as shown in Figs. 1 and2 thesaid rear catch belt inner pulleys 66 will be on the inside or to theright of the rear jaws 34 and 35, when these catch belt carriages arerespectively in a spaced-apart position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.During normal feeding operation of the fabric, these catch belts andtheir pulleys operate idly as it were, that i they allow the fabric tofeed over the catch belt pulleys through the power received from thedriven main belts.

. As best shown in Figs. 1. and 3 the two sets of catch belt carriageshave their own separate platforms, 68 for the right-hand carriagescarrying the catch belts 51 and platform 69 for the lefthand carriages61 carrying the left-hand catch belts 64.

Attention is now particularly called to the fact that the right-handcatch belts 5lare not in line with the nearly oppositely disposedleft-hand catch belts 64 but are offset in relation thereto andsimilarly that there is a like offset between the right-hand carriagesBI and theirnearly oppositely disposed left-hand carriages 61. It willbe further understood that each set of catch belts and carriages isseparately and independently moved by reason of the carriages ill at theright hand half of the machine being mounted upon their laterallyextending platform 68 which at opposite ends thereof is mounted insuitable slideways (not shown) supported from the opposite side rails40.

The left-hand carriages 61 are supported upon their ownlaterallyextending platform 69, the'opposite ends of which similarly areslidingly mounted in suitable slideways (not shown) supported or letdown from the opposite side rails 40 at the left hand half of themachine. The two sets of catch belts are at the proper timesimultaneously moved towards each other from their retracted positionsshown in Figs. 1 and 2 to their forward positions as shown in Fig. 3. Inthis forward position, the near pulleys of the two sets of catch beltshave advanced preferably to be slightly past each other as most plainlyshown in Fig. 3. Conveniently branches 85' of the air lines 85 that goto the upper ends of cylinder 53 to open the jaws 33 and 35 may also goto the outer ends of v both the horizontal cylinders 10 and H operatingthe catch belts so that asthe jaws are opened the piston 12 of cylinders10 and II will be forced towards each other moving the two series ofcatch belts to the position of Fig. 3.

correspondingly the air lines 86 that carrythe compressed air to thelower ends of vertical cylinders 53 have branch lines 86' that carry thecompressed air to the inner ends of the horizontal cylinders and operateto move the catch belts apart to the position shown in Fig. 1. Thissilghtly passing movement of the catch belts it will be seen willoperate to carry the forward depending end 55 of the fabric from theposition shown in Fig. 2 to a position of the parts of Fig. 3 where thisdepending end will have been carried from its depending position up toand upon the upper rear portion of the left-hand catch belts. It will beunderstood that during the advancing of these catch belts to theirslightly past position, the upper length of the catch belts will beeachmoving forwardly or to the left. After a very short time, theforward end 56 willbe carried by the left-hand catch belts through thenow separated rearward jaws 34 and 35 and onto the main feed belts 5| atthis left-hand end of the machine. It

will be further u'nderstood that this approaching and slightly relativepassing of the catch belts will be automatically brought about promptlyafter the tearing device has accomplished its operation and been raisedto its raised position as shown in Fig. 2. The advance of the two setsof catch belts will preferably be simultaneous and may conveniently beaccomplished by pneumatic means.

Such pneumatic means may conveniently consist of two sets oftandem-arranged pairs of pneumatic cylinders Ill and H, one set arrangedbeneath each opposit end of the tearing zone and conveniently supportedby suitable brackets (not shown) depending fromthe side rails of themachine. As particularly shown in Figs. 1 and 3 the right-hand cylinder10 has its piston 12 in the outer end of said cylinder when the catchbelts are in distended position and this piston ID has a piston rod 13reaching to the right end connected to the platform 68 which carries thecarriages GI and thereby the catch belts 51. Similarly the left-handcylinders II have pistons 12 at the outer end of the cylinders H whenthe catch belts are in distended position so that the piston rod 13therefrom extending to the left end is connected to the platform 69. Itwill now be apparent that on air under pressure being admitted to thefarther or remote sides of said pistons, they will be moved for thelength of their travel in said cylinders and thereby in obvious mannerwill carry the platforms 68 and 69 towards but not quite to each otherand similarly the carriages 6| and 51 towards but not quite to eachother, although the latter members, as already mentioned, are offsetfrom each other.

Preferably I provide means to stop the feeding forward of the wovenfabric while the fabricholding jaws are closed. This prevents the fabricbeing piled up just to the right of the front or right hand pair ofjaws. The means for accomplishing this stoppage of the forward feedwithout stopping the rotation of the main feed rollers 45 may consist ofa cleat" 14 carried at its opposite ends by a pair of bell crank leversl5 operated by a rod 16 connected to the bridge 68 whereby on the bridge68 moving to the right which happens when the jaws are being closed thecleat is lowered and holds the length of fabric 23 from travelingforward with themain feed belts. Inother words the fabric is heldfromadvancing through the power driven belts continue to travel but thefabric is held from traveling with the belts causing a slippage betweenthe fabric which simply rests of its own Weight on the belts 46.

During the time of the tearing operation and until the tearing devicehas been raised out of the way in the tearing zone, the fabric beingadvanced from the feed rollers 48 and 49 piles up to the right of thecleat 14 on the stationary table 44. But on the completion of thetearing operation and the raising of the tearing device, the sequence ofmovement of the parts of my machine is that the catch belts advancefirst and then the jaws open and on the advance of the catch belts thebridge 68 moves to the left. This moves the connecting rod 16 to theleft and swings the bell crank clockwise and lifts the cleat l4.Thereupon the weight of the fabric resting on the belts 46 becomesoperative to let the fabric feed forward with the belts 46. It will beunderstood that the feed of these belts is fast enough to pull all theaccumulated or piled-up fabric from table 44 well before another tearingoperation and its incidental stoppage of feed takesplace.

ing device whereuponthe catchbelts are .again 4 advanced, thejaws-opened iandtheinew end of fabric fed through the left-hand jaws andthe fabric again .fed forward an improper sequence and.automaticallyperformed.

-It will .:now be seen that .-I;have produced ;a

machine well adapted to. fulfill the purposes and .to performthe-operations mentioned at the beginning of thiszspecification. I I

And in particularit will seen that I haveprovided;means ,for holding ashort .length of full width woven fabric taut =whi1e simple, .direct andpositively acting tearing mean tears the fabric from' some intermediatepoint clear through the opposite :selvagessand especially that thetearing arms are Joosely :mounted with enough easily or feedingrmeanslocated beyond the second, pair of jaws, yet-b .-an .ingenious system oftwo sets of :bodily .imoving constantly-advancing catch 5 belts orauxiliary ifeed belts, I have provided means after the -.t.earin g-:device is :removed from the tearingrzone :to carry. them-coming newend of woven'fabric across the tearingzzone and betweenthesecondpair ofnow opened butv recently said .held :-l.en gth of fabric and comprisinga spear ;p.oint above an intermediate part of the said-held length :Offabric ;and,-.tw0 arms extendingloosely therefrom inopposite directionslaterally .and upwardly whereby on thesaid tearin device descending thevsaid spearpoint makes a shortcut andsaid arms tearthefabric crosswisetherefrom in .opposite directions .completely through the zoppositeedges .thereof.

,3. In a machine.fortearingfull width woven fabric lcrosswise, thecombination -.of two spaced pairs of -jaws, the members .of eachpairbeing in :moveable relation to each other and each pair when separated.adapted :to have .a full width .of the fabric;proceed.-horizontallytherebetween and adapted when closed to hold :ashort length of .thefabric taut between -.the said two ,pairs, a tearing device locatedvertically from the said held length of fabric and movable verticallytheretowards and therefrom and comprising ;a spear lpointioppositeamintermediate part .of the said -.he1d length of fabric and twoarms-extend.- ing loosely therefrom vin opposite directions daterallyand.at-a slant, yielding imeans for' feeding a full width length of :wovenfabrictowards and through said first .ofzsaid pairs .of jaws and fromtheesecondgpairs ;of Jaws, means for intermittently closing ssaidttwolpairs .1 of jaws: and means for :then moving said .tearing device.against the fabric and-then therefrom.

A. iln=a machine for tearing full width woven fabric .crosswise, itheecombination .of two spaced pairs of Jaws, the .membersof each pairbeingin moveable relation-toeach-Qtherand each pair whens separated adaptedto .have a :full ,width of the .fabric proceedrhoriz ontally..therebetween. and adapted when :closed to .hold .a short length .of

the fabric tautbetweentheesaid two pairs, a tearing device .locatedabove .the said. held length i of fabric :and ecomprisinga spear pointabove .an

closed fabric engaging jaws and .into working pair :being inzmoveablerelation ,to eachother. and I each pair when separated adapted (to havea'full width of the :fabric proceed horizontally =therebetweenandsadaptediwhen c1osed:.to hold a short length of :the fabric itaut Ibetween :the said two pairs, :9. tearing device locateduvertically:from, the said held :length of 2 fabric and movablevertically theretowar'ds and therefrom and :comprising :a spear pointopposite :an intermediate -;part of the said held length of fabricandrtwozarms extending loosely therefrom in opposite directionslaterally "and at a-slant whereby 'on .the tearin'gdevice being movedvertically :against :the .fabric the said -spearpoint makes '"a shortcut and said arms tear the fabric crosswise therefrom inceppositedirections completely through theopposite edges thereof. I g

'2. In ,a machine "fortearing *full width 'woven fabric crosswise, thecombination oftwo spaced pairscf holding membersgthe members of eachpair being in moveahleer'e'l'ation to eachother and .each pair whenseparated adapted .tohave a full width of ,the ,fabric .proceedLhorizonta lly therebetween zandzadapted when .closed .to hold a shortlength :of :the .fabric :taut lbetween the said twwpairsga tearing:device locatedabove .the

intermediatemar-t of .the said held length of fab-- ric and .two :armsextending loosely therefrom in oppositedirections laterally. andupwardly yield- -ing-means :for feeding a -fu1l width length vof .wovenfabric towards and through .said vfirst of said ,pairs .of .-jaws sandfrom the second pair of ,jaws, means .for .-intermittently closing .saidtwo pairs of jaws and means for then movingsaid tearing device,downwardlyand then upwardly. 5. In a .machinefor' .tearingrfull width.woven fabric crosswise, the combination of two vspaced pairs of tjawsthe membersof eachpairbeingdn moveable relation to each .other and eachpair 7 when separated adapted .to have .a .full vwioltl'roit the fabricproceedahorizontally therebetween .and adapted when closed-to hold; ashortlength. of the fabric taut between the ,sa-id itWO' pairs,aitearing device locatedvertically from-thesaid heldilength of fabricand movable vertically .theretowards and therefrom and comprising.aspear point opposite :an intermediate part of .the said held length -Dffabric and two-arms extending loosely therefrom in I opposite directionslaterally .and .at .a :slant, yielding meansafor feeding \a, full widthlength of wovenfabric itowardstand 'throughsaid first :of said ;pairs ofJews v.and i from .the second pair [of jaws, means for intermittentlyclosing said [two pairs .of;-j.aws.rand. means for then; moving saidtearing device Jagainst the .fab-ric and thentherefromand'means :fOI'aarresting. the feeding forwardiofithe..fabric-jtothe-first pair of .jaws

' on the CIOSiIIE'Of saidjaws.

a full width length of woven fabric towards and through said first ofsaid pairs of jaws and from the second pair of jaws, means for closingsaid two pairs of jaws, means for then moving said tearing deviceagainst the fabric and then therefrom, means operative after eachtearing operation and after the withdrawal of the tearing device foropening both pairs of jaws and auxiliary feeding means means operativeafter each tearing operation and the withdrawal of the tearing deviceforcarrying the new end of the fabric forward from the first pair ofjaws, to, through and from the second pair of jaws;

7. In a machine for tearing full width woven fabric crosswise, thecombination of two spaced pairs of jaws, the members of each pair beingin moveable relation to each other and each pair when separated adaptedto have a full width of the fabric proceedhorizontally therebetween andadapted when closed to hold a short length of the fabric taut betweenthe said two pairs, a tearlength of fabric and movable verticallytheretowards and therefrom and comprising a spear point opposite anintermediate part of the said held length of fabric and two armsextending loosely therefrom in opposite directions laterally and at aslant, yielding means for feeding a full width length of woven fabrictowards and through said first of said pairs of jaws and from the secondpair of jaws, means for intermittently closing said two pairs of jawsand means for then moving said tearing device against the fabric andthen therefrom and means for arrestin the feeding forward of the fabricto the first pair of jaws on the closing of said jaws, means opera tiveafter each tearing operation and-after the withdrawal of the tearingdevice for opening both pairs of jaws and auxiliary feeding meansadvanced into the tearing zone after each tearing operation and thewithdrawal of the tearing device for carrying thenew end of the fabricforward from the first pair of jaws, to,v through and from the secondpair of jaws and into engagement with the regular feeding means beyondthe said jaws and means for withdrawingthe auxiliary feedingmeans fromthe'tearing zone before the next tearing operation.

8. In a machine for tearing full width woven fabric crosswise, thecombination of two longitudinally spaced sets of belts for normallyyieldingly feeding said fabric forward, spaced means for intermittentlyholding a short length of said fabric taut in the tearing zonetherebetween, a wedge-shaped tearing device located above the said heldlength of fabric and having a puncturing point above anintermediate'part of said held length of fabric and two arms extending looselytherefrom laterally and upwardly, means operative when the short lengthof fabric is held taut for moving said tearing device downwardly untilsaid arms tear completely through said fabric and then lifting thetearing device out of the ing device located vertically from the saidheld tearing zone, auxiliary feeding means bodily movable to extendacross the tearing zone for advancing the new torn end through saidholding means andinto engagement with the normal feeding means locatedbeyond the second-reached holding means for again feeding the fabricforward and means for removing said auxiliary feeding means from thetearing zone before the tearing device is brought into anotheroperation.

9. In a machine for tearing full width woven fabric crosswise, thecombination of two spaced pairs of jaws, the members of each pair beingin movable relation to each other and each pair when separated adaptedtohave a full width of the fabric proceed horizontally therebetween andadapted when both pairs are closedto hold a short length of the fabrictaut therebetween in a tearing zone, a tearing device located verticallyfrom said held length of fabric and movable vertically theretowards andtherefrom and including a spear point opposite an intermediate part ofsaid held length of fabric and two arms extending therefrom in oppositedirections laterally and at a slant whereby on the tearing device beingadvanced the said point makes a short cut transversely and said armstear therefrom completely across the full width of fabric.

10. In a machine for tearing full width woven fabric crosswise, thecombination of two spaced pairs of jaws, the members of each pair beinin movable relation to each other and each pair when separated adaptedto have a full width of the fabric proceed horizontally therebetween andadapted when both pairs are closedv to hold a short length of the fabrictaut therebetween in a tearing zone, a tearing device located verticallyfrom said held length of fabric and movable ver tically theretowards andtherefrom and including a spear point opposite an intermediate part ofsaid heldlength of fabric and two arms extending therefrom in oppositedirections laterally and at a slant whereby on the tearing device beingadvanced the said point makes a short cut transversely and said armstear therefrom completely across the full width of fabric, two sets ofregular feed belts, one feeding'the fabric to the first pair of jawsand'the other taking the fabric from the second pair of jaws, two setsof auxiliary feed belts each overlapping one of the regular sets of feedbelts and having its carrying length extendingthrough the adjacent pairsof jaws, each of said auxiliary sets of feed belts being carried onspaced pairs of pulleys one of each pair within and one without thetearing zone and mounted for bodily movement of its set towards and fromthe said tearing zone whereby on the auxiliary sets of feed belts beingretracted the said tearing device may be temporarily moved into thetearing zone and when the tearing de vice has been operated andwithdrawn leaving a new depending end of the on-co-ming fabric betweenthe pairs of jaws, the auxiliary feed belts may be temporarily advancedinto the tearing zone into interlapping relation and will carry the newon-coming end of fabric through the second pair of jaws and intooperative engagement with the regular delivery feed belts beyond thesecond pair of jaws. v

11. In a machine for tearing full width woven fabric crosswise, thecombination of two spaced pairs of jaws, the membersof each pair beingin movable relation to each other and each pair when separated adaptedto have a full width of the fabric proceed horizontally therebetween andadapted when both pairs are. closed to hold a short length of the fabrictaut therebetween in v a tearing zone, a tearing device'locatedvertically from said held length of fabric and movable verticallytheretowards and therefrom and including a spear point opposite anintermediate part of said held length of fabric and two arms extendingtherefrom in opposite directions laterally and at a slant whereby on thetearing device being advanced the said point makes a short cuttransversely and said arms tear therefrom completely across the fullwidth of fabric, means for feeding the desired length of fabric to the

